BULLHEAD CITY – Bullhead City Pest Abatement will hold a caddisfly community forum on May 1, from 6 to 7 p.m. at the Bullhead City Council Chambers, 1255 Marina Blvd. Forum topics will include biology and ecology of net-spinning caddisflies, current nuisance caddisfly abatement strategies, and the potential role riverfront residents can play in future pilot programs.
“The primary goal of the forum is to educate the public on nuisance net-spinning caddisfly biology and ecology and to seek volunteers for new pilot programs,” said Bullhead City Municipal Entomologist Dr. Michael Cavallaro.
Bullhead City’s net-spinning caddisfly suppression program monitors insect populations throughout the year. Few instances of nuisance net-spinning caddisflies exist globally and are often associated with hydroelectric dams.
Cavallaro leads two caddisfly forums annually, one in the spring and one in the fall. The forums are intentionally timed to coincide with the most intense caddisfly emergence events to promote public education. During the forums, Cavallaro engages with members of the public and provides information about current and future strategies of caddisfly population control.
“The future of net-spinning caddisfly population suppression will require an active role by riverfront residents,” Cavallaro said. “We’re encouraged by the results of the low flow program but understand that its impact is not uniform along the entire river reach susceptible to nuisance-levels of caddisfly swarms,”
Cavallaro intends to highlight the potential impact of bolstering light trapping efforts and the strategic deployment of floating mats to collect caddisfly egg masses during the May 1 forum. The public is encouraged to attend the forum and to participate in the efforts to control the caddisfly population.
“We encourage riverfront residents to continue removing debris from dock pilings,” said Cavallaro. “Vegetation, trash, and other materials snagged on docks are prime substrate for net-spinning caddisfly egg mass attachment and subsequent colonization.”
For more information, please call 928-763-0109.
